Heat Wave
by Kei-chan1
Summary: A new evil invades the land and Seiryuu and Suzaku's people are forced to unite. Chapter 2 uploaded! (R rating for Tasuki's language!)
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimers: I don't own Fushigi Yuugi or the characters. (I am now going to throw myself off a tall building...)  
  
Author's Note: At the moment, I have no idea where this is going to go... but I'll do my best to keep it coherent. ::grin:: Review if you can.... Flames welcome cuz frankly, I don't like my writing too much, and if there was someone out there who could truthfully tell me how much it sucks.. I'd be happy! (yeah, I'm kidding.)  
  
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As the sun rose in the country of Kutou, the heat did as well. It rose to a sweltering degree that even the slightest movement caused a person to sweat profusely.  
  
Inside the palace of Kutou's inner city, where the only cool place was the dungeon, a different kind of heat was bearing down on the people.  
  
Hongo Yui, the Priestess of Seiryuu, was in a foul mood.  
  
"Suboshi! Get in here!"  
  
An audible "Eep!" followed by a rustle of clothing and what sounded like a struggle ensued. Finally, Yui's door opened, and Suboshi cautiously make his way inside.  
  
"Hai, Yui-sama?" he asked, his voice trembling from nervousness.  
  
The Priestess lay reclined on a silk-covered lounger, two servants on either side fanning her with huge leaves. She gazed down at the younger shichiseishi in cold fury. "Go to the kitchen and fetch me a tall glass of ice water."  
  
"Hai, Yui-sama," he said, bowing his head and backing out the door. Once outside, he sighed and wiped the sweat from his brow.  
  
"She wants another glass of ice water."  
  
Amiboshi groaned. "I oughta kill Nakago for making us do this."  
  
"Yeah." Suboshi slid his back down the wall until he was sitting on the cool marble of the palace corridor. "It's your turn, aniki." He didn't look up, but knew his older brother was nodding. Then, retreating footsteps were heard, signaling to Suboshi that he was alone.  
  
The younger of the twins allowed his eyes to slip closed. He knew that if Nakago caught him out here sitting he'd be in trouble. In this heat, however, the shogun was rarely seen before sunset.  
  
A quiet chuckle escaped Suboshi's lips. He knew as well as everyone else that Nakago holed himself up in the dungeon all day, claiming to have prisoners to whip. The other shichiseishi had found out that he had set up a cot down there so Soi could raise his chi whenever he needed it.  
  
*Poor baby,* he thought. *Can't handle the heat.*  
  
A breathy cackle right next to his ear scared Suboshi out of his thoughts. He turned, frightened to look directly in a painted face framed by feathers and long, silvery hair.  
  
"Aaah! Tomo, you scared the hell out of me!" he complained.  
  
Tomo straightened, slipping easily into a dignified stance. He shrugged his shoulders at Suboshi's reaction, folded his arms lazily across his chest. "Suboshi," he began, sing-songy voice echoing in the large hall. "I thought I would warn you that Nakago-sama is on his way up here."  
  
The sitting shichiseishi leapt to his feet. "Nani!?"  
  
A small smile crept onto Tomo's face. "He has something he wants to speak to Yui-sama about."  
  
At that time, Amiboshi returned, a glass of ice water balanced precariously on a tray. He handed it to his brother.  
  
"Go for it," he urged.  
  
Suboshi cast his older brother a glare, but took the tray and glass into Yui.  
  
"Well it's about damned time," she scoffed.  
  
"Gomen nasaii, Yui-sama," Suboshi apologized. "Ano..."  
  
"Yes?" Her tone was both patronizing and cruel.  
  
He looked down, hurt. "Nakago is on his way to see you."  
  
When Yui didn't respond, Suboshi sneaked a look. She was starting down at him, the patronizing expression still remained on her face.  
  
Feeling tears sting his eyes, Suboshi bowed once to her and all but ran out the door. Once outside, he didn't even look at his brother or Tomo as he ran off down the hall, past Nakago, and to his bedchambers.  
  
Amiboshi had a feeling of dread hit him as Nakago approached. His eyes widened only slightly when he saw the shogun was without his armor. *Must be the heat,* he thought.  
  
"Amiboshi." The deep, commanding baritone cut into his thoughts.  
  
"H-hai?"  
  
Nakago turned to look down the hall Suboshi had just run through. "Where is Suboshi going?"  
  
The younger shichiseishi struggled for words. What was he going to tell him? *Better to just tell him the truth, baka, he knows when you lie.* The answer came as quickly as the question had.  
  
He dropped his head, "He's upset that Yui-sama is being mean to him today."  
  
The shogun nodded in mock understanding. He'd have to talk with Suboshi later. "Amiboshi, Tomo, you are excused for the evening."  
  
The two bowed - Tomo much more deeply than Amiboshi - and walked off together down the hall.  
  
Nakago turned back to Yui's door, clenched his jaw tightly. Not that anyone knew, but the shogun detested the sniveling little girl who was to be Seiryuu no Miko. He, himself, much rather preferred the girl who was Suzaku no Miko. Yui acted like an immature brat most of the time, while Suzaku no Miko took responsibility for who she was, even if she was clumsy. *Another reason to hate Tamahome,* he thought. The only reason he was manipulating Yui, in fact, was because girls from other worlds were hard to come by, and he couldn't be picky.  
  
Steeling himself, he twisted the doorknob - he never knocked - and let himself into the room. There, lying on the lounger clad in her school uniform shirt and not much more, was the Seiryuu no Miko.  
  
"Nakago, I'm hot," she whined.  
  
He nodded, as he had been doing a lot lately. *Everyone's hot, you stupid girl.* But even as he thought it, he knew he could not say it to her. "Hai, Yui-sama, but I an unable to do anything about it."  
  
She groaned, sounding more like a 5-year-old child than a 15-year-old high school student.  
  
Nakago sighed inwardly. *Better get this over with.* "Yui-sama."  
  
His tone of voice caught her attention as something that was almost urgent. Waving away the servants at her side, she sat up, swung her legs over the side of the lounger. "What is it, Nakago?"  
  
The shogun lowered himself down beside her. "There may be something that can be done about the heat, I wasn't truthful before," he said, acting slightly ashamed. Sometimes, just sometimes, he amazed himself with his manipulation skills.  
  
Just as he had expected, Yui's hand rested on his unarmored shoulder. "About what?"  
  
"It seems some kind of evil being has invaded the whole land. It appears to be the cause of this terrible heat wave."  
  
He almost couldn't have cared less about the evil, but that ancient woman, Taiitsukun, had voiced her concerns over it. It was enough to make him wary of the situation. Besides, he hated to sweat.  
  
Nakago continued before Yui could say anything. "Seiryuu no Miko, it will destroy this world if it is not stopped."  
  
Yui's eyes widened in terror, the reaction Nakago was aiming for. "What can we do, Nakago?"  
  
"Set aside you differences with Suzaku no Miko, join her, and defeat it."  
  
When he said this, she jumped up from the lounger, anger distorting her thing face. "Nani?"  
  
He remained sitting, usual blank, passive expression adorning his handsome visage.  
  
"After how many times you told me that she forgot about me and didn't care, you want me to join her??" she asked.  
  
The shogun merely nodded, rose to his feet. He felt a trickle of sweat slide down the back of his neck. "I'll leave you to think about it."  
  
Then, Yui was alone.  



	2. Part II

A/N: Standard disclaimers apply, I don't own the very wonderful Fushigi Yuugi, or any of the beautiful characters it contains. ::sniffle::  
  
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In Konan Country, in the palace gardens, under a large shade tree, three forms were visible.  
  
"Aaaaah, it's so hooooooooot!"  
  
Long, wavy, violet hair that was usually in one perfectly styled braid now rested atop the head of the Suzaku shichiseishi Nuriko in a tight bun. He sat with his back leaning against the huge trunk of the tree, skirts hiked up to expose his legs to the knee, eyes closed.  
  
"Yakamete!" A shirtless, flame-haired form lay sprawled on the cool grass next to him. "You're just makin' it worse!"  
  
"Tasuki-san, maybe you should go for a swim," Nuriko suggested, grinning. He knew as well as the other seishi that Tasuki was deathly afraid of water, but the younger had already jumped up, and, with his hands on his hips said, "Oi, let's go!"  
  
Chichiri, who was sitting on the other side of the tree cross-legged and meditating, stared at his best friend in confusion. "Ano... Tasuki-kun, you're afraid of water, no da."  
  
The smile on Tasuki's face faded. "I am not fuckin' afraid of water! And, even if I was," he added, sticking his nose in the air. "It wouldn't matter now because of this fuckin' heat."  
  
Chichiri rose to his feet, glanced toward the palace. "It'll have to wait, no da."  
  
"Doushite?" Nuriko asked, climbing to his feet as well.  
  
"We're needed at the palace na no da."  
  
The violet-haired shichiseishi groaned, but followed as Chichiri and Tasuki started the trek back to the palace.  
  
As he walked, he felt a pang of jealously toward the mountain bandit. While Tasuki was able to run around the palace grounds shirtless, Nuriko was still forced to be Lady Kourin, a girl of the emperor's harem. He sighed. Maybe it was time to quit being Kourin of the harem and just be Nuriko, the shichiseishi.  
  
The three finally reached the palace, swear pouring from their faces. They were slightly surprised to find that the palace was only a little cooler than the shade in which they had laid most of the day.  
  
They walked down the hall, were met but Mitsukake and Chiriko right outside the Hotohori's conference room, and all walked in together.  
  
Upon their entrance, Hotohori glanced up from where he was talking to Tamahome and Miaka, a half-hearted smile forming on his handsome face. He, like Tamahome, Mitsukake, and Tasuki, was also shirtless. Sweat glistened off his finely tuned shoulders, chest, and abdomen.  
  
At the sight of his beloved emperor half-naked, Nuriko's eyes bugged out of his head, and he could do nothing but stare, open-mouthed at the beautiful form of Saihitei.  
  
"Nuriko-san," whispered Tasuki. He elbowed him in the gut. "You're drooling."  
  
Finally, Nuriko snapped out of his trance, and tried to focus on why it was they had met.  
  
Hotohori opened his mouth to say something, but before any sound left his throat, a husky voice cut through the silence of the room.  
  
"Silence, Hotohori."  
  
Tamahome jumped back as a floating figure appeared before the group. When he saw who it was, a look of pure terror flashed on his face, and he and Tasuki screamed simultaneously.  
  
"Sunekake babaaaaa!"  
  
Taiitsukun roared, giving both men a glare. "That's enough! There's a dire situation at hand."  
  
Miaka stepped forward, lines of worry creasing her forehead. "What is it, Taiitsukun?"  
  
"This heat wave is not natural," the old woman said.  
  
"Nani?" Tamahome was genuinely confused.  
  
Taiitsukun's hand shot out, whacking the seventeen-year-old upside the head. "I wasn't finished!"  
  
"G-gomen," he said, rubbing the spot where her hand connected.  
  
She cleared her throat. "There's an evil invading the entire land. All 4 countries are suffering this heat wave that's being caused by this evil."  
  
"What can we do?" Nuriko inquired.  
  
The ancient creator sighed heavily. "It's something that will be difficult and trying on all of you." She paused, regarding each of them with a stern look before continuing. "You must join forces with the Seiryuu shichiseishi. Only then can you defeat this evil."  
  
"What the hell are you saying?" Tasuki jumped in. "Join those bastards? We've spent all this time fighting them and now we're supposed to fuckin' join them!?"  
  
"Calm down, Tasuki, no da!" Chichiri yelled.  
  
Hotohori stepped forward, head bowed in respect. "Taiitsukun, are the Seiryuu willing?"  
  
She sighed once more. "They are still thinking about it, but I have no doubt that they will comply. This world will be destroyed otherwise."  
  
Her purpose fulfilled, Taiitsukun disappeared, leaving the shichiseishi and Miaka staring after her, their thought's racing.  
  
After a moment of unbearable silence, Tasuki's anger boiled over. "Dammit! Those Seiryuu bastards don't deserve to be allowed to fight evil. They fuckin' ARE the evil!"  
  
Nuriko reached over, and with one hand, shoved Tasuki into the nearby wall. "Shuddap!" he yelled.  
  
Hotohori slumped down into a chair, dignity forgotten in the heat and echo of the old woman's words. "Can we do it? Can it be done? Make peace with Kutou and vanquish this evil?"  
  
He looked up as a hand dropped onto his shoulder. Tamahome was standing behind the chair, staring down at the young emperor with fierce determination in his eyes. "We'll do it, Hotohori-sama."  
  
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"Tomo?"  
  
The illusionist froze, turned stiffly to face the person who had called his name. *Of course,* he thought. *It would be Nakago.*  
  
"Hai, Nakago-sama?"  
  
The shogun stared curiously Tomo. He wore none of his opera makeup, his headdress was missing, and instead of his heavy red tunic, a simple white shirt hung from his shoulders. He looked nothing like the cruel, conniving seishi Nakago knew, but more like the shy young man the shogun never cared to find out about.  
  
Nakago nodded to him, feeling no desire to embarrass the younger man. "The heat is bad, I know. I wanted to discuss some things with you, do you have the time?"  
  
Tomo bowed, his amber eyes sparkling. "Of course, Nakago-sama."  
  
The two walked down into the refreshingly cool dungeon of the palace to the shogun's makeshift office. Tomo smiled as the air brushed across his face. "Now I see why you spend your time down here."  
  
Nakago smirked. "While everyone else complains about the heat, I simply stay out of it. Now then,"  
  
Tomo forced the smile from his face, even though he couldn't help but stare at the tall, lithe body of Nakago. When the older man's voice took on a professional sound, Tomo forced himself to concentrate on his words.  
  
"That ancient woman, Taiitsukun, came to see me today."  
  
"Taiitsukun? What did she want?" Personally, Tomo couldn't stand the creator, but he respected her for what she was.  
  
Nakago sat in his chair, folded his arms on top of the desk. "This heat, it seems it is being caused by some evil that is invading the land."  
  
"You mean all four countries?"  
  
He nodded. "She asks that we join with the Suzaku group, or we will be unable to stop it from destroying our world."  
  
Tomo scoffed in disgust. "Those pathetic fools?"  
  
Nakago leaned back, lips turned slightly up in a smile. "You do not like them very much."  
  
"No," Tomo agreed. "They're weak. They and that god of theirs."  
  
Nakago stood, and Tomo rose to his feet as well. "Well, Tomo, I suggest doing your best to get over your hate of them, because we will be fighting with them."  
  
The silver-haired seishi bowed deeply. "Hai, Nakago-sama," he said, then left the coolness of the dungeon for the suffocating heat of the palace.  



End file.
